1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing roller cleaning apparatus for a liquid printer, and more particularly, to a developing roller cleaning apparatus for a liquid printer adopting a blade thus increasing the efficiency of cleaning.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid electrophotographic printer such as a liquid laser printer is known as a liquid printer. The liquid electrophotographic printer forms an electrostatic latent image by scanning a laser beam onto a photoreceptor medium, develops the image with developer including toner of a predetermined color using a development unit, and transfers the developed image to a print paper to print the image.
The liquid electrophotographic printer, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a laser scanning unit (LSU) for forming an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor web 10 and a developing unit 20 for developing an image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image.
The developing unit 20 includes a development reservoir 21, a developing roller 23 disposed to maintain a predetermined development gap G between itself and the photoreceptor web 10, a developing roller cleaning unit 30 for removing developer adhering to the developing roller 23. An injection unit 25 for injecting the developer including toner and carrier toward the development gap G, a squeegee roller 27 for separating the toner from the carrier by pressing the photoreceptor web 10, and a blade 29 for cleaning the developer adhering to the squeegee roller 27 where a drip line (DL) is removed.
The developing roller cleaning apparatus 30 includes a pipe 31 having a hole formed therein and an injection hole 31 a and a cleaning roller 33 inserted around the pipe 31 for contacting and cleaning the developing roller 23. The cleaning roller 33 contacting the developing roller 23 cleans the developing roller 23 by means of developer injected through the injection hole 31 a of the pipe 31.
However, as the conventional developing roller cleaning apparatus having the above structure is not provided with a means to remove foreign materials adhering to the developing roller 23 after cleaning, the efficiency of cleaning is lowered so that the quality of printing is deteriorated.